This was a 1948 Winchester 52B I found in a local shop.The stock had been crudely shortened and the barrel band was missing, and there was a crack at the wrist. The finish was all gone. The metal was heavily pitted and missing much of the blue. In the bore, there was a circumferential pit about 8 in. from the muzzle. The dealer let me take it home and clean it, and test fire it. It was very accurate and functioned perfectly, ugly as it was. I bought it for $150.
I spent over a year trying to find a replacement stock without luck. Finally I sent the original stock to Wenig custom stocks, and had them make me a lefthanded full-size stock to fit me, rough shaped and partly inletted.
While I waited for the stock I did some metal polishing and cold bluing. I ordered sling swivel bases from Brownell's. I blued them,and then when the new stock arrived I finished the inletting, glass bedded, let the swivel bases into the stock, and then timed all the screws so that they are in line with the bore. I couldn't find a good plain buttplate, but I did have a flat piece of ebony from an old piece of furniture. It was too thin, so I glued two sections together using a mixture of wood glue and Ebony sawdust, and then used a buttplate jig to fit it to the wood. I blued and timed the screws. Then I did a sanded-in oil finish, let it cure for about six weeks, and then went over it with extra fine Brownells stock rubbing compound. At the range I found it makes consistently one third inch five shot groups from a rest.
I now have the cosmic squirrel rifle I've been wanting for 20 years. Have a look. There is also a photo of the ebony buttplate being fitted.
I spent over a year trying to find a replacement stock without luck. Finally I sent the original stock to Wenig custom stocks, and had them make me a lefthanded full-size stock to fit me, rough shaped and partly inletted.
While I waited for the stock I did some metal polishing and cold bluing. I ordered sling swivel bases from Brownell's. I blued them,and then when the new stock arrived I finished the inletting, glass bedded, let the swivel bases into the stock, and then timed all the screws so that they are in line with the bore. I couldn't find a good plain buttplate, but I did have a flat piece of ebony from an old piece of furniture. It was too thin, so I glued two sections together using a mixture of wood glue and Ebony sawdust, and then used a buttplate jig to fit it to the wood. I blued and timed the screws. Then I did a sanded-in oil finish, let it cure for about six weeks, and then went over it with extra fine Brownells stock rubbing compound. At the range I found it makes consistently one third inch five shot groups from a rest.
I now have the cosmic squirrel rifle I've been wanting for 20 years. Have a look. There is also a photo of the ebony buttplate being fitted.
